Marinated Eggplant in Orange Blossom Water

by Maydan DC 

Betenjen Wardeit Leymoun

Photo by Jennifer Chase

Serves 6.

• 2 eggplants (1inch dice)
• 1 red onion (sliced thinly)
• 3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Parsley leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste

In a large sauté pan, roast the eggplant over medium high heat using ¼ cup of the olive oil until well browned. Remove from heat to a plate and reserve.

Warm the olive oil remaining in the pan and add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and garlic. Lightly sauté until translucent. Add the orange blossom water, honey and vinegar. Add back the eggplant, and season to taste. 

Cool the mixture. Garnish with parsley leaves.

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Maydan is scheduled to open this fall at 1346-B Florida Ave. NW; maydandc.com. Compass Rose is located at 1346 T St. NW; compassrosedc.com.

Spiralized Beet Salad with Saffron Citronette and Candied Almonds

Sponsored by Balducci's Food Lovers Market

Spring has sprung at the farm markets. Now’s the time to fill a shopping bag full of tender lettuces, herbs, asparagus and spring onions. What about a fresh beet salad from Balducci’s Chef Jason Miller?

What's in Season:

• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Basil
• Beets
• Bok choy
• Broccoli raab
• Cilantro
• Collards
• Dill
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mesclun mix
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsley
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Sage
• Sorrel
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Swiss chard
• Turnips

Our culinary team has been working hard to open our wonderful new store in Reston Town Center, where customers can find restaurant quality chef-prepared options along with the gourmet groceries and quality meats and cheeses that they’ve come to expect from Balducci's. We've also developed new spring recipes that you can make at home or pick up freshly prepared from the Balducci’s team. I've been focusing on beets lately; such a great example of seasonal, spring produce that’s bursting with color and nutrition. Find whole or spiralized beets in any of our Balducci's produce sections. This new recipe uses spiralized beets and it’s a staff favorite— terrific alongside grilled meats or fish. – Chef Jason Miller, Corporate Executive Chef at Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market.

Spiralized Beet Salad with Saffron Citronette and Candied Almonds

Serves 4–6

• 1 pound spiralized beets (made fresh in-store)
• 1 cup fennel, sliced thin, reserving fronds for garnish

Saffron Citronette

• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 teaspoons saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon Balducci’s fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ½ shallot, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Candied Almonds

• 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ tablespoon butter, softened
• Parchment paper

Make the candied almonds by covering a baking sheet with parchment paper and spreading the softened butter on top of the paper; set aside. In a small saucepot, add the sugar and water, stir to dissolve and cook over medium-high heat until lightly golden. Add the slivered almonds and stir to coat completely. Pour onto the greased parchment paper, spreading apart and allowing to cool. Break apart the almonds once cooled.

Next, make the citronette by adding all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until combined. Set aside to rest. Slice the fennel on a mandoline slicer, reserving the fronds. Next, combine the thinly sliced fennel in a large bowl with the spiralized beets and prepared citronette, allowing to them to marinate for a few minutes. To serve, top with fennel fronds and candied almonds.

Coconut Poached Chicken Bok Choy Salad

By Chef Johanna Hellrigl, Doi Moi Restaurant
Serves 4

For the chicken:
1 can coconut milk
2 red Thai chilies, minced
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon grated galangal
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 pound chicken tenderloins

For the salad:
2 large bok choy, thinly sliced stems and a few of the leaves
1 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 cup Thai basil leaves, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
½ cup green onion, sliced diagonally
½ cup raw cashews, toasted and roughly chopped
Salt, to taste

Dressing:
2 Thai red chilies, minced
2–3 tablespoons lime juice
¾  cup reserved coconut milk broth

To make the Coconut Poached Chicken, in medium-sized pot over medium-high heat add all of the ingredients for the except the chicken. Bring to boil, then add the chicken. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken and the broth to cool for at least 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prep salad ingredients and put them in a large bowl. (Chef’s note: Make sure that you slice all the white stems of the bok choy rather than the leaves. This will add texture to the salad.)

When the chicken has cooled, remove and shred it with 2 forks; add it to the salad bowl.

To make the dressing, crush the 2 Thai chilies with a mortar and pestle with 2 tablespoons of lime juice. For a less-spicy salad, simply reduce the number of chilies. Add the chile and lime mixture to ¾ cup of reserved coconut milk broth from the chicken.

Add as much dressing as you like to the salad and toss it until well coated. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Add an extra squeeze of lime juice or serve with lime wedges for extra acidity and freshness.

Serve immediately. If you are not serving immediately, add the fresh herbs right before serving.